Barrel work

[Edward]

I have a new kit barrel TC 45cal 1-48 twist that I have been shooting this last month off the bench with ho hum results and called Bob Hoyt thinking he could bore it out with a slow twist 50 ,maybe 54cal for PRB mostly target /little deer killing .My problem is the answering machine says he will be closed for 6 weeks,call back then . Any other shops comparable to his quality /price that anyone has used ? Thanks Ed

[curator]

"Ho-Hum" accuracy with T/C 1 in 48 twist barrels is usually caused by patch/ball combination not being tight enough. Have you heard of the Dutch Schoultz (SP?) accuracy system? I bought a T/C Hawken from a club member who complained about poor accuracy. He was shooting .440 (store-bought) balls with .010 commercial lubed patches. The best groups he ever shot were in the 8" size from 50 yard bench rest. Switching to .445 home cast and .016 dry-lubed pillow ticking cut at the muzzle, my 5-shot groups were 2-3". I shrunk this to 1 1/2" by experimenting with the powder charge and finding the sweet-spot with 60 grains FFFg Olde Eynford. Before you re-bore, check out: www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com

[bubba.50]

Ed Rayl in Gassoway West Virginia. does the same work & quality the same. like Mr. Hoyt he doesn't have a website so you have to keep callin'. can't find the piece of paper I wrote his contact info down on but, if ya do a search ya should be able to find it here on the site.

[crappie-hunter]

I live about 40min from Bob's shop and was there several times in the weeks before Christmas. He was having a knee replacement on the 17th of Jan. SOOOOOOOOOOO ,might be a while till he gets back in shape.

[johnson1942]

if you shot a 250 grain bullet resized to .440 and double wrapped it with number nine paper dry wrapped and put it over 100 grains of real black and a 60 thousands wad you would get 1 inch groups at 100 yards with that gun. wipe between rounds. you have a sleeping giant there and just have to know how to awaken it. it would be easier to load that what you are doing and drop most game you would hunt, also a good target round. just facts nothing else.

[Edward]

I am shooting 40-70 gr 3F using 440/445 pure lead balls with mink lubed linen .009 seated on 2 3/8 mink lubed wads . Same combo with
20-32 gr of 4F at 25yds resulted in 1 1/4 inch group being best using 20 gr of 4F while my best groups at 50 yds so far were 2-2 3/4 inch
with 50-55 gr 3F . Both best loads achieved with the 440 sized ball every thing else being the same . By comparison my H+A underhammer
using the same loads will most days at 25yds be hitting a very small squirrel head (or a large ragged hole) and 70 gr 3F at 80 yds will do 2 1/2-3 1/2 .All shooting off a bench with TC peep and front Lyman globe ,thinking the big difference is 1-64 slow twist is what gave me the idea to get the 1-48 bored out with a dedicated round ball barrel ,plus aside from H+A I have a 45 GM 1 inch fast twist Long range so making another
50 or 54 cal slow twist RB shooter would cut my shoulder some slack and be easy carrying gun deer hunting and make use of a barrel that will otherwise be stuck in the closet .

[bob208]

try different patches and ball sizes. I bought a lyman gpr. at a yard sale they said it would not shoot. gave me some patches and balls they were shooting. which were .010 patch and a .490 ball. I went to .020 patches brought it down to half what it was doing before then went to .495 balls turned it into a match winner.

also don't think you need a bigger .50 or .54. that .45 will kill pigs and deer just as dead as the larger cals. plus it will save on powder and lead. which means more shooting then you will be able to shoot better.

hoyt would also deepen the groves a little deeper for patched round ball.

[koger]

Curator has you on the right trail.

[54bore]

Ed Rayl in Gassoway West Virginia. does the same work & quality the same. like Mr. Hoyt he doesn't have a website so you have to keep callin'. can't find the piece of paper I wrote his contact info down on but, if ya do a search ya should be able to find it here on the site.

I spoke with Mr Rayl a few months ago about a rebore fast twist, i believe he told me he was 1 1/2-2 years out. A guy could grow a decent beard in that amount of time. Hoyt was 1-2 months. Rayl explained to me that when he did those their were no guarantees, if things go south you stil pay for the job and you are out, Ed's words were, you never know whats gonna happen til you get in there. I'm sure he was giving me the 'Worst case scenario' but something to keep in mind.

[Edward]

Talked to Mr Rayl yesterday and he told me the same thing about no guarantees and that is something to consider,thanks for the comments everyone /Ed

[bubba.50]

that's good to know about Mr. Rayl. never sent a barrel to either one but have owned barrels done by both Rayl & Hoyt and if I handed them to you without tellin' ya, you wouldn't be able to tell which is whose. so, except for that long-@$$ wait I wouldn't hesitate to send him work.

[bubba.50]

haven't heard anything about Mr. Hoyt havin' a guarantee either and on the off chance HE made a mislick, I doubt he'd have a new replacement barrel to send ya either.

[crappie-hunter]

Hoyt just did a 50cal 1-28 twist for me before Christmas. Haven't done a lot with it yet,early testing indicates it doesn't like Sabots will do more with them later. Got some descent results with 320gr Lee R E AL bullets,needs more work there also. Have a Maxi-ball mold on the way for testing.Then if all those fail I will try Paper Patch,I have been following that thread with great intrest. The work he did on the fast twist looks great to my untrained eye. Hoyt has done 5 or 6 re -bores for me and none have been a failure. I have never brought up the issue of a warranty if he makes a mistake.